Articles

Sustainable digital design

All eyes are currently on the environment. CO2 emissions, air and water pollution, overconsumption of energy and resources, etc. and – whether we like it or not – our graphic design industry is also a contributor. Perhaps there is more we can do than one might think immediately.

We can always look to the classic virtues: reducing paper consumption, using eco-friendly materials in print production, choosing local suppliers to minimize transport… All of this has been standard practice for us for a long time.

But then there is digital design…

Although digital design may seem environmentally friendly due to the reduced use of physical materials, it still consumes energy. With the introduction of energy-intensive AI solutions and the establishment of ever-larger data centers to handle the operation and traffic of digital files and services, focus has now also turned to our digital world as an environmental sinner. In fact, it is estimated that our global internet usage now emits as much – or more – CO2 as the much-criticized aviation industry. Streaming carries much of the responsibility, but ordinary website and social media traffic also fuels the fire. As graphic designers we can contribute to mitigating this trend and influencing it positively.

Sustainability is now an integrated part of modern graphic design. As designers, we have a responsibility to make choices that serve not only aesthetics but also the environment. By focusing on intelligent technical decisions, optimized processes, and long-lasting solutions, we can significantly reduce our carbon footprint and energy consumption. Every click, every file, and every server request requires power – from the user’s device, the network, and the data centers hosting the website. Here are a few examples of how graphic design can make a difference in a website’s energy output:
 
Files and content
Content on a website generally takes up a lot of space. Images, graphics, videos, animations, audio, etc. require significant storage and energy when running. By optimizing file sizes, the strain on servers and storage systems can be reduced. For example, it is less resource-intensive to use vector graphics instead of pixel-based images, to compress images without compromising quality, to use modern file formats like WebP instead of traditional JPGs, and to avoid autoplay on videos and animations, since these continuously drain resources from both the user’s device and servers. Furthermore, design can help by emphasizing refined content and structure, minimizing the number of pages, clicks, and server requests.

Overall, good and well-considered design can help reduce energy consumption in data transmission.
 
Colors
It may sound a bit flimsy. But in fact, there is a big difference in how much energy different colors consume. Dark colors are generally less resource-demanding than bright colors. For instance, the color white requires full activation of all screen light channels, resulting in high power consumption, whereas black is almost comparable to being switched off. That’s why it’s always a good idea for websites to be usable in so-called Dark Mode, where dark colors are used as backgrounds.

Highly saturated colors also require more screen energy, so eco-friendly considerations can be built into the design too.
 
System fonts
By using system fonts on your website, less energy is required from the recipient’s side, since the fonts are loaded locally rather than downloaded like custom fonts. This also makes load times quick and smooth, and therefore less resource-consuming.
 
Long-lasting solutions
All design processes consume energy – whether we like it or not. First, energy and resources are used to create design proposals, which are often shared digitally with the client several times. Next is the programming, testing, and uploading phases, all of which generate traffic over an internet connection.

Instead of discarding an old website entirely and starting from scratch, it is far more beneficial to create long-lasting solutions that can be updated rather than replaced. This is both environmentally friendly and, of course, economically advantageous. Graphic design plays a major role in creating a timeless design, that doesn’t become outdated.
 
Hosting solutions
This final point stands somewhat apart. Hosting and web hotels are often outside the direct control of graphic designers. However, we always encourage our clients to choose the most environmentally friendly hosting solution, for example, servers powered by renewable energy. This is an important aspect – which is why we include it here.

A company can thus reduce its website’s environmental footprint through design choices, technical optimization, and hosting decisions. By combining these strategies, businesses can both take responsibility for their digital climate footprint and simultaneously improve user experience with faster loading and a better digital product – while also saving energy and positioning themselves as environmentally responsible in the minds of their users and stakeholders.

Call BGRAPHIC if you want to learn more or need help with sustainable design.